Rice

Appears in
Thai Food and Cooking

By Judy Bastyra and Becky Johnson

Published 2011

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The most important ingredient in Thai cooking is rice. In fact when people are called to the table, the phrase used – gkin kao – literally translates as “a time to eat rice”. All the other foods that make up a meal – meat, fish and vegetables – are regarded as accompaniments and are referred to as ghap kao or “things eaten with rice”.

The average Thai eats 158kg/350lb of rice every year, which is almost a pound a day. It is consumed in various forms, from basic steamed rice to rice noodles, crackers and cakes.